MODERN Insurance
Editorial Contributors Andrew Gibbons ACII Chair, Industry Claims Initiative on behalf of BIBA
Nik Ellis Managing Director Laird Assessors
David Williams Technical Director AXA Insurance
Pablo Liñares Director of Consulting and Innovating Services GT Motive
Dan Chesney Commercial Director S&G Response
Richard Beaven Executive Director Swinton Group
Donna Scully Director Carpenters Group
Rodrigo DeCossio UK Insurance Lead MarkLogic
Professor Hugh Koch Clinical Psychologist and Director Hugh Koch Associates and Visiting Professor in Law & Psychology, Birmingham City University James Roberts Business Development Director, Insurance Europcar UK Group Jason Tripp Operations Director Coplus
Rupert Armitage Managing Director Auto Windscreens Shaun Smith Sales Executive EMEA iovation Shirley Woolham COO Minster Law Simon Stanfield Chair Motor Accident Solicitors Society (MASS)
Jonathan Hewett Chief Marketing Officer Octo Telematics Keith Tracey Managing Director, Professional Services Aon Risk Solutions Dr Matthew Connell Director, Policy and Public Affairs Chartered Insurance Institute (CII)
Sophie Timms Head of UK Corporate Responsibility Zurich Stephen Hines President Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL) Stephen Marshall ACII Managing Director Insure Apps
Michael Lewis CEO Claim Technology Ltd Natalie Larnder Policy Adviser, Civil Justice Association of British Insurers (ABI)
Trevor Lloyd-Jones Senior Marketing Manager, Insurance LexisNexis Risk Solutions
WELCOME reat customer service means different things to different people. One customer in a shoe shop might truly appreciate the time and attention the sales assistant gives them, while another might cringe away from what they perceive to be overenthusiasm and pushiness from the same employee. At the end of the day, the right salesperson needs to recognise that the definition of customer service is flexible so that they can understand the customer’s needs and advise them on the best product for their circumstances. After all, the proof is in the product.
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This is something the insurance industry is constantly grappling with, because it’s not selling shoes. Insurance products are of course far more complex and probably more consequential for most people too, and they’re completely unique in that the customer purchases them in the hope they’ll never need them. So how can an insurance business make sure it’s providing consistently good customer service selling ethereal, obscure and sometimes unwanted products? It’s a question we spent a long time pondering over when devising criteria for the first ever UK Customer Service Excellence Awards, and the plethora of nominations we received shed a lot of light on how the industry is going about this. What stood out to me is that good employee to customer service all starts with good employer to employee service, with regular training, feedback and investment in staff making a big impact on customer satisfaction. It was also interesting to learn about the ways the market is trying to make its products more accessible and engaging for customers, finding new ways of promoting or structuring their services to the on-demand generation. There are lots of hurdles to overcome when providing good customer service too, including external factors that impact on the industry. Fraud is a big one. It’s as much of a challenge today as it is when I joined the Modern Insurance team, and it doesn’t look set to be vanquished any time soon. That’s not for a lack of trying from everybody in the industry, and there are some great initiatives out there, like No Office Walls, a platform to enable collaboration between anti-fraud professionals. You can read more about NOW in this issue’s interview with MD Cate Wright, as well as how the industry is approaching Brexit, data and autonomy and other big disruptors. Congratulations to all the awards winners who have certainly overcome industry challenges and put their customers first. It may not be as simple as selling shoes, but you know the customer will be truly grateful to have more than their feet protected when something goes wrong.
Issue 31 ISSN 2515-3803 Editor Brendan Gurrie
Editorial Assistant Poppy Green
Project Manager & Events Sales Rachael Pearson
Modern Insurance Magazine is published by Charlton Grant Ltd ©2018
All material is copyrighted both written and illustrated. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. All images and information is collated from extensive research and along with advertisements is published in good faith. Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this publication was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.
Issue 31
Brendan Gurrie, Editor, Modern Insurance Magazine. 01765 600909 | @ModernBrendan | brendan@charltongrant.co.uk
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